Leaders of the three parties of Estonia's ruling coalition will convene at Stenbock House on Sunday to discuss amendments to the tax package.

"The meeting will begin in Stenbock House at 10 a.m. and its topic will be the tax package," government press officer Urmas Seaver told BNS on Friday.

Center Party spokesperson Andre Hanimägi told BNS that participants from the Center Party will include party chairman and Prime Minister Jüri Ratas and vice-chairmen Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure Kadri Simson and Minister of Education and Research Mailis Reps. "Discussion with coalition partners will include amendments to the tax package and possible sources of financing," Hanimägi said.

The Social Democratic Party (SDE) will be represented by party chairman and Minister of Health and labour Jevgeni Ossinovski and vice-chairmen Minister of Entrepreneurship and Information Technology Urve Palo and minsiter of Culture Indrek Saar, SDE spokesperson Toomas Sildam told BNS.

The Pro Patria and Res Publica Union (IRL) will be represented at the meeting by party chairman Helir-Valdor Seeder, IRL parliamentary group chairman Priit Sibul and Minister of Justice Urmas Reinsalu.

"IRL wants the government to restore the joint tax returns of spouses and forgo the deposit tax," IRL spokesperson Kristiina Herodes told BNS. "The government is currently seeking sources of financing so that it would be possible to move forward with the proposals. With Sunday's negotiations, the party wishes to achieve results whih would allow the coalition to carry on with its work."

Helir-Valdor Seeder, the newly-elected chairman of IRL, has expressed hope that the tax-related part of the bundle of amendments that passed its first reading in the Riigikogu could be reviewed and changed in the coalition before the second reading.

Following this, Ossinovski said that he understands Seeder's wishes and is open to discussing the matter. "It is understandable that the new chairman of IRL would want to review ome questions in some regard," he said last Friday. "I have always been open to that discussion. We are essentially about to reach an agreement regarding the two issues: joint tax returns and the deposit tax. Of course, the question lies in finding the necessary resources to finance the costs." The chairman of SDE noted that the Ministry of Finance would have time until the three coalition parties' meeting to discuss and calculate different options in that context.

Following a meeting on May 19, leaders of the government coalition announced that there will be no deposit tax in its previously planned form and that amendments would be made regarding joint tax returns. Ratas also declared that the coalition consisting of the Center Party, IRL and SDE remained strong and would continue working together.

Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDE) and former minister of health and labour, Jevgeni Ossinovski expects poverty in Estonia to decrease as an effect of the current government's income tax reform, though the actual impact will become clear only after data is evaluated next year.